Red Onion Soup

A few things have inspired me to create tonights supper. The night is drawing in and there is a slight chill in the air, accompanied by light rain. I also this week purchased a rather large bag of red onions from Costco. Finally, today the past 3 weeks of hectic work life has finally caught up with me. I need some comfort food, and there is nothing more comforting than a nice large bowl of Red Onion Soup.

My recipe is

1.5kg of red onions, peeled and roughly sliced. There is something that is off putting about perfectly sliced onions in a soup. You will also need 125g of Passata, 2litres of Beef Stock, 1 bulb of garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of plain flour, 1 dessert spoon of brown sugar (I used golden granulated) a splash of mulled wine, spiced rum or red wine.

First, peel and chop the onions and place them in a cold pan with the oil and butter, then turn the heat on low, cover and leave for a good 15 minutes. Don’t be tempted to go back and stir.

My mantra for cooking any onions really is “Low and Slow”. A low low heat and a long time cooking ensures the onions release sweet juice! I always test my heat is low enough by touching the lid of my covered pot. You should be able to cook your onions and still touch the lid of your pot!

While the onions are cooking, heat up your beef stock, leave it simmering on a low low low heat, and chop your garlic into small pieces like this.

After about 45 minutes, your onions should be ready for the next stage. Add the garlic and stir through, then after about 5 minutes, add your plain flour and cook through for 1 minute. Throw in a splash of your wine or rum. I have found that the spiced rum helps give a depth of flavour that you can’t find with red wine. Add the sugar and stir through and cook for a further few minutes.

Now, a little like you are cooking risotto, add your beef stock one ladle at a time, stirring continuously. This helps the onions separate from the sticky mess they have become.

Once all the stock has been incorporated, add the Passata, and simmer for about 10 minutes.

This soup is deliciously sweet, and filling especially when served with cheese on toast or hot crusty bread.